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The Learn'd Astronomer
"Poem by Walt Whitman (Leaves of Grass) from 1855" -The Video description "The Learn'd Astronomer" is the third video to be uploaded to Shotgun Rodney. It was uploaded on September 30th, 2016, about a month after the previous video. Synopsis The video begins with Jonathan Adam Van Nest Jr. clad in a blazer and fez. He is sitting next to a fireplace in a big blue chair. He is reading Frank Miller's Big Damn Sin City until he lets out a shriek after being startled by the supposed viewer. As he puts down the book, he states, "Didn't see ya there." He then puts on his glasses to indicate that the joking portion of the video is now over. From here on in, the video is nearly inaudible unless you have relatively good speakers because Jonathan speaks very softly in this for some reason. He then goes on to introduce and read The Learn'd Astronomer by Walt Whitman from Leaves of Grass: "When I heard the learn’d astronomer, When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me, When I was shown the charts and diagrams, to add, divide, and measure them, When I sitting heard the astronomer where he lectured with much applause in the lecture-room, How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick, Till rising and gliding out I wander’d off by myself, In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time, Look’d up in perfect silence at the stars." Jonathan removes his glasses and puts them on the table. They then fall off the table and Jonathan is clearly trying to hold back laughter. As he does so, he states that he chose the poem (what for, is not specified) is because it is featured in Episode 5, Season 3 of Breaking Bad. In an act of astonishing redundancy, he then restates the title of the poem and a puddle-deep analysis for it. He goes on to state that the poem induces mixed emotions due to the polarizing nature of the differing views of the Astronomer and his student. He states that the Astronomer gets joy from appreciating the nuances of science and the student appreciates the more simple and, arguably more beautiful grand scope of things. He then blathers on about images that he thinks of when he considers the poem and really just restates his opinion for the rest of the video. There's barely any new commentary offered beyond 2:00. After a suicide inducing amount of time goes by, he finally wraps up, goes back to reading Frank Miller's Big Damn Sin City and ends with saying, "I'll catch you kids on the flip." Actors # Jonathan Adam Van Nest Jr. Characters N/a (No characters identified) Music # Canon in D Minor - Pachelbel Trivia # This video marks the first appearance of Jonathan Adam Van Nest Jr.'s face and the first time he makes discernible speech # The chair that Jonathan sits on can be briefly seen in the background of "Paul Blart's Pudding" at 1:03 # The fez is the first of many hats that Jonathan is seen wearing throughout his channel's history. # This is the first video wherein Jonathan is the only living thing that is seen. # This is the first video wherein Jonathan is not the cameraman. # This video marks the first appearance (or lack thereof) of the unseen cameraman. # Jonathan states that the poem appeared in episode 305 of Breaking Bad but it actually is first read in episode 306.